Scattered
by Mistclaw
Summary: There were always two options when it came to making a chimera, Nina or Ed. Tucker makes a fateful choice that scatters lives and destinies everywhere. Will those broken by this choice be able to pick up the pieces? Or will things stay in their ruined state?
1. Chapter 1

**OMG look who's back in business! Well at least for a little or until something crazy comes up again. Life has been a ride like always, but I won't bore you with details and a rant. The only thing that hinders me from writing and updating frequently is school, and school work always come first I'm afraid.**

**Anyway this is essentially _Shattered Hearts_, but with better detail to the plot. I really hope you like it, took hours to finish. **

**Also if you find any errors in spelling or misuse of words please, please, tell me so I can fix them.**

**Thanks! And I love you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 1- From the Ground**

Dark clouds hung heavy over Central, a threat of rain high above the bustling city. A flash of lightning illuminated the horizon, lighting up the hills that lie miles away. Thunder crashed a few seconds later, its low rumble like a large cats purr.

A mansion stood out from the small houses around it. Red bricks, mahogany doors and large, pristine windows with silk drapes. A tall iron fence kept guard around the perimeter with one locked gate to keep strangers out and its occupants in.

Outside the large gate was a bulky suit of gray armor, almost the same color of the gate and half the size. It stood there patiently, arms crossed with its helm looking up at the darkening clouds overhead.

As he stood the main door of the mansion opened, a young girl peeking out. When she saw the armor she smiled, blue eyes lighting up as she flung the door open. It slammed against the wall and the armor turned around to see the girl running at him, brown braids bouncing around in the gentle breeze.

"Alphonse! You came!" She cried, screeching to a stop at the gate. The armor turned and looked at her, expressionless except for his brightly glowing crimson eyes.

"Hello Nina, of course I came. I have to talk to Ed, can I come in?" Alphonse gently put his large hand on the iron bars, if he wanted to he could have pulled them apart but what good would that do?

"Yep, Edward's still with daddy in his study, but he won't mind if we went in to check on him." While she talked she toyed with the gate, letting out a satisfied huff as it opened. Alphonse let out a small laugh at her determination and slowly walked in.

"Normally Alexander attacks me when I come in, where is he?" Al asked, watching Nina carefully close the gate, not bothering to lock it. She shrugged and grabbed the armor's hand.

"He was in my room a while ago, guess he snuck off somewhere. We can find him later." She said excitedly, skipping to the main door and dragging Al with her.

"Okay, but after I talk to brother, I found something interesting in the library while he was here." They walked through the door into a brightly lit front room. A large staircase stood in the center with beautifully crafted hand rails made of mahogany. Behind Alphonse Nina closed the door, not bothering to lock this one either, smiling as she let go of the armor and ran to the stairs.

"Daddy will want to hear it too! His assessment is any day now!" She exclaimed, bouncing up the stairs while Al slowly walked up, hand resting gently on the railing.

Nina's father was Shou Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist and he was the best in biological alchemy. He had once made a talking chimera and was trying to make another. On the side he was helping the brothers in their quest for the philosopher's stone.

They reached the top of the stairs as a flash of lightning flared against the hills. Nina covered her ears as thunder boomed seconds later. The storm was closer now and small droplets of water splattered against the windows of the upstairs hall.

"Alexander hates thunder; I bet he's hiding somewhere." Nina muttered as she uncovered her ears and began walking down the hall with Al at her side.

"I've never really liked thunder either." The armor admitted and Nina giggled at the thought of the huge suit being scared of something that couldn't hurt him. They stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall, the light barely reaching it and creating a creepy atmosphere.

"Hello daddy! Al came to talk to Ed!" Nina didn't bother to knock as she barged in, voice echoing off the stone walls.

Al stood in the doorway, seeing two figures in the gloom. One was a shocked Shou Tucker and the second was a dog. In the dim light of the study's lamps Al could pick out a flash of gold against white fur.

"Nina, what did I tell you about knocking?" Tucker asked, his voice shaking. Was that fear in his tone? Nina just shrugged and looked at the dog with a huge smile on her face.

"Alexander!" She called, patting her knees and focusing on the dog. The creature flicked its ears and slumped to the ground in a strange, pained way.

"Mr. Tucker, where's Ed?" Al asked, looking at the dog lying on the hard stone floor. Nina slowly walked to the creature's side with a worried expression, kneeling down next to it as Tucker went to stand next to her.

"He left to go to the library a little while ago. He-"Tucker was interrupted by Nina as she let out a small scream.

"Daddy, that isn't Alexander!" She stood up in shock; backing away just enough so Al could see the creature better.

Golden hair glinted in the dim light, going from the top of the dog's head to end in a sweeping tail. As he watched the dog stood up, paws shaking violently, to look around the room.

"Mr. Tucker, what is that?" Al asked, watching as the creature turned its head to fix the armor with a hazy golden stare. Those eyes were so familiar even though they were glazed over with pain and confusion.

The dog walked over to Al, limping past the shocked body of Nina and the fearful Tucker. Once it reached him its legs gave out, head thumping against the ground.

"Al-phonse, Al, litt-le bru-ther." It said in a warped whimper, a mixture of a pained human and a fearful dog. Al dropped to his knees, landing dangerously close to the chimera, no, Ed's head.

"Tucker, please tell me this isn't Ed." He heard Tucker shuffle his feet, Nina gasping at his side.

"Understand Alphonse, I needed to pass my assessment and show the military that I could make another chimera. It was for the best! Wouldn't your brother have wanted to give his life to such a great cause?" Tucker's voice rose in pitch, a crazed squawk as Al looked up in disbelief. Nina looked at her father in stunned silence as she slowly backed away.

"Why daddy, why did you do this?" She screamed, tears glittering in her eyes. Tucker attempted to lay his hand on her shoulder but she darted away, crouching next to Ed.

This set Al off. With speed greater than a normal human in armor he had Tucker in his grasp, pinned against the hard stone wall. The man looked at him in fear, a wild light in his eyes.

"It was for the best! You two are always doing things for the greater good, isn't this what you meant?" Tucker laughed madly while Al's armor shook with hollow clangs.

"This is never what we wanted! How can we get out bodies back now?" Al screamed in a voice full of unfathomable sorrow. Tucker smiled and laughed harder.

"Ed now has an arm and leg of flesh and blood! I did him a favor! Do you want the same Alphonse?" Before the crazed man could say more Al punched Tucker in the face with a heavy metal and leather gauntlet. Lightning illuminated Tucker's fearful face, thunder crashed in time with another well aimed blow that broke the man's nose and sent blood gushing everywhere.

"Al, no, please stop!" Nina screamed in despair, stopping Al mid-swing. He turned his head to see the terrified girl grasping Ed, tears streaming from her wide blue eyes. The armor dropped Tucker, the man hitting the ground with a loud thud, eyes closing as he fell unconscious.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Al was addressing both Nina and the chimera, watching as Ed raised his head to look at his younger brother.

"Hurts…Hurts…" He whimpered, trying to stand only to fall against Nina with a pathetic whine. When Al looked closer he could see blood drying around Ed's muzzle, fresh blood trickling from between his lips, and his white fur splotched with crimson in a few other places.

Al said nothing, walking past the two and heading down the hall and down the stairs. He paused at the phone in the main foyer, hand hovering over the receiver as he heard Ed's whimper and Nina's sob. Shaking, Alphonse called the only number that came to mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy crap two updates in one week!? Don't get used to it though lol.**

**Anyway I had time because I'm sick and had nothing else to do. I don't really like this chapter just because I wrote it while super dizzy. Last night even thinking about good ideas made them bad. I can't even get my words right, so I'm just gonna shut up.**

**Please if you find any typos in this chapter tell me. Again, typed this while really dizzy and confused.**

**Hope you like it!**

**Love you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Discover**

Eastern command was even more dreary and boring in the horrible weather. Rain was now steadily coming down from the clouds while the lightning and thunder on the horizon were closer.

A man with jet black hair and eyes the same color as the storm clouds was looking outside of the big window that towered over his desk. He wore the deep blue uniform of the military, three stars of gold glittering on both shoulders.

Behind him worked four men and one woman dressed in the same attire, different amounts of stars on their shoulders. Two of the men, one with cropped ginger hair and the other with ragged gray hair, were playing chess on a desk laden with papers. Another man with spiked black hair and glasses was watching them while the fourth man, a man with blond hair, relaxed with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The only woman in the room was focusing on some papers, running her hand through her gold hair as she read.

Normally the command post was busy with various issues, anything from a murder to sightings of strange people around the city. Today it seemed as though the rain was washing all the city's problems away.

The ringing of a phone on the desk in front of the window made everyone look up. The man behind the desk sighed and turned around to pick up the phone.

"Hello, Colonel Roy Mustang of Eastern command here." He said in a bored yet professional voice, leaning on the desk with his crew looking up at him.

"Colonel, it is Alphonse." The voice on the other end said in a quiet, echoing voice.

"Hello Alphonse, what do you need?" Mustang's crew relaxed when they heard that it wasn't another call from Central command or another ridiculous sighting.

"It's, well Ed is…oh you wouldn't believe me even if I told you!" Al's voice rose with each word, full of fear and despair.

"Alphonse, tell me what's wrong." The colonel sat up straight, the tone of the voice on the other end worrying him. Al was never like this unless something bad had happened.

"I can't tell you over the phone." His voice was nothing but a whisper, "All I can tell you is that Tucker did something horrible to Ed."

"Where is Tucker?" Mustang's blood had turned to ice and his crew could see how worried he was.

"I knocked him out after I found Ed." Al's voice was an angry whisper that made Mustang fear the worst. He stood up, holding the phone in a death grip.

"Lock him up somewhere; we'll be over in a minute." The colonel was about to hang up when he heard Al speak.

"Colonel, don't bring anyone other than your crew." Alphonse whispered before the line went dead. Mustang set the phone down and looked at the people gathered before him with a grim gaze.

"Something real bad has happened to Edward at the Tucker estate. Alphonse didn't tell me what but from his tone it was clear that this isn't a joke." His crew looked at him in silence, dread and curiosity in their eyes. Without another word Mustang walked from behind his desk, walking quickly to the door with his men close behind.

"We don't want any unwanted attention, so act calm. When we get outside we'll split up and head to the estate. Hawkeye and Havoc will come with me." The woman and the blond man with the cigarette nodded, going to stand closer to the colonel. The rest of the group nodded as Mustang pushed open the office door.

The group walked quietly down the hall, moving as quickly as possible without drawing attention. People looked at them but didn't say anything as they left the building and out into the pouring rain. With a nod from Mustang the group split, each one quickly walking down the long flight of concrete stairs to the parked military cars out in front of the sidewalk.

"Sir, I'll drive." The blond woman, Hawkeye, said as they reached the deserted sidewalk. She dug in her uniform pockets and produced a key as Mustang and Havoc followed. Every car looked alike and how Hawkeye knew which one was hers was a mystery, but the two men didn't car or dwell on it. The three climbed in, Hawkeye and Mustang up front with Havoc in the back.

The car started with a roar that boomed over the rain pounding against metal and glass. The colonel looked outside the passenger window to see the three other men trying a key in a nearby car, only to find that it wasn't belonging to either of them. Then the scene was gone as the car pulled away and sped along the city streets.

Rain flew past the windows, splattering against the windshield only to be swept away by the wipers. The city buildings were a blur as they drove down one way streets and back roads in order to avoid red lights and the typical storm traffic.

By the time the three reached the estate the rain hadn't slowed and as they got out of the car lightning flashed overhead. Mustang was the first to the large iron gate, looking over it to notice it was unlocked. Opening it with a loud screech and ignoring the convenience he walked through, hearing Hawkeye and Havoc following close behind.

It was the same with the main door, the hug slab of mahogany opening with a gentle nudge. Light flooded the group as Mustang took the first hesitant step into the house.

The main foyer was occupied by one other person, a little girl around the age of five sitting on the stairs. When they walked in she looked up, her blue eyes wide and bloodshot, and ran towards them.

"Al said you'd come, please help Ed! They're in daddy's study upstairs." She stopped a foot or two from Mustang, sobbing into her hands as she finished talking.

"Havoc, you stay here with Tucker's daughter." He was about to say more but was interrupted by the remainder of his crew bursting through the door, soaking wet. "Falman you stay here too." The white haired man nodded and stood back as the remaining four ran up the stairs.

As the group reached the second floor they heard pounding from a closed door down the hall. The voice was muffled and Mustang didn't know what it was saying, but he knew that the voice belonged to Tucker.

He didn't slow down until he reached an open door, barely casting light into the dim hallway. The colonel heard a low whine from the room and walked in, standing in the doorway.

In the dim light he could see Al's armor standing over a strange creature. The creature was a dog, with a long golden main and tail, hunched over and coughing up blood. Al looked up and the sorrow in his glowing eyes said it all.

"No, this can't be." Mustang walked into the room only to lean against the wall behind him, shock making him feel weak. Gasps sounded behind him and there was a loud thud as someone fell to their knees.

There was no denying it, the way Al stood over the bleeding chimera, how fearful he had been on the phone and why he wanted no one in the military to find out.

The creature before them was Edward.


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally, now back to where the old story left off. I know those of you that read this story before were anxious to get to that part, so it'll be up sometime in the near future.**

**After reading this you may have some questions but don't worry, those will be answered later on.**

**Also I am feeling much better than I was writing chapter 2, so this chapter doesn't disgust me nearly as much. I really hope you all like it. **

**Oh by the way, the chapter is named after a song by Trice, check it out. It may foreshadow what happens later in the story...**

**Also I'm going to have a poll up a few minutes after this is uploaded, please share your opinions on it.**

**If you find any spelling or grammar errors please tell me!**

**Thanks! Love you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 3- The Lion and the Wolf**

The world seemed to stop as soon as that thought entered Mustang's mind. Sound was muted, even when lightning flashed and was soon followed by thunder there was nothing. Mustang was too shocked by the form in front of him to notice anything else.

Edward stopped coughing up blood, raising his head to look up at Al. When he saw that his brother's attention was focused elsewhere he followed Al's gaze. Blank golden eyes slowly turned towards the colonel and he saw those eyes widen.

A gurgling growl broke through the silence, making the world snap back to Mustang. The chimera's mouth opened, lips drawn back in a snarl to reveal bloody, human like teeth. Ed stood on shaking legs, his head low and blood streaming from his mouth to splatter on the stone floor.

"Why you here?" The voice sounded familiar but was so morphed it was almost impossible to recognize. The chimera took a small, staggering step forward, eyes blazing from behind blond bangs. "Bastard."

Mustang stood up, a sudden strength flowing through his numb legs. He walked over to Ed until he was standing a foot away. Up close he could smell the copper tang of blood and almost gagged but he kept himself together.

"Edward, Alphonse called us because you need help." The colonel's voice was unnaturally soft and the chimera was caught off guard. The growling stopped and Ed looked at Mustang in confusion. Their eyes locked and Edward could see the horror, sadness, and dismay. The chimera couldn't take it and he looked away as the same emotions ruse up inside of him.

"Go away." Ed whispered with a voice full of pain that was both physical and emotional. Mustang knelt down, holding back the instinct to reach out to the suffering being in front of him.

"I'm not leaving, for once let me help you. I know you know that you need it." Ed's body shook violently and he let out a frustrated moan. Even though he looked nothing like the arrogant teen he had once been he was still Edward. Mustang felt a small flutter of hope inside at that thought.

Ed's moan ended in a horrible gurgling sound, the blood oozing from his mouth became a river. As Mustang watched something under the chimera's skin moved, almost like a mass of snakes. Ed whimpered and his eyes closed as his legs gave way. He landed with a dull thud inches from the colonel, coughing out a mouthful of blood.

"What's going on?" Mustang looked up at Al, the armor's soulful eyes reflecting the alarm of his own.

"I don't know. He's been bleeding since I found him but it got worse. It's like his insides are, moving." Alphonse whispered as he knelt down next to Ed, placing a gentle hand on his brother's back.

At this Ed howled in pain, eyes snapping open and his head darting from side to side. Blood ran from his mouth as he let out another cry of agony, his eyes locking on Mustang to reveal panicked golden irises. Al quickly removed his hand and Ed relaxed slightly, lowering his head onto his paws, gaze never leaving the colonel.

"It hurts." The chimera said through gritted teeth. "Everything hurts." The panic and confusion in Ed's eyes filled Mustang with anger towards Tucker.

"Breda, Fuery, I want Tucker in here now." The colonel's voice was cold and Ed shook as though he was feeling it. The heavyset man with the cropped ginger hair darted from the doorway with the smaller man with black hair and glasses.

"Sir, what should I do?" Hawkeye's voice sounded from behind Mustang, full of emotions that she never showed. He turned his head to see her kneeling on the ground, eyes brimming with tears.

"Go down and tell Falman and Havoc the situation. I'm sure Nina's told them but I want you to confirm it." Hawkeye slowly stood up, her head reaching up in a limp salute. Then she was gone and in her place stood a bloodied Tucker. He was held up by Breda and Fuery, his limbs were bound with rope and a washcloth was shoved in his mouth.

The crazed gleam in his eyes only added fuel to the flames of Mustang's anger. He quickly stood up and marched over to Tucker, looking at the man as though he was nothing but a filthy sewer rat.

"What is happening to Edward? Tell me right now!" Mustang's voice rose above the thunder booming outside and the rain crashing against the window. Fear shown in Tucker's eyes as the colonel ripped the rag from the crazed man's mouth.

"I didn't have time to make the perfect chimera, so his organs are fixing themselves. The transmutation will fix his body over time, in an hour or so the bleeding will stop but he won't be perfect." The last sentence ended with a sad sigh that infuriated Mustang. Before he could say anything a growl sounded behind him.

"Fuck you." Ed snarled and as Mustang turned his head he was the chimera slowly sit up, hatred glowing in his eyes. Tucker let out a loud, insane cackle that could only be compared to that of a dying crow.

"How does it feel Edward? Isn't the agony you feel wonderful? You've become a creature that is regarded as a legend! You-"Tucker was cut off as Mustang punched the man right in the stomach, hearing the satisfying whoosh of air as it was forced from his lungs.

"I will burn you to ash! Now shut up and tell me how to fix him!" The colonel roared, hearing heavy clangs from behind as Al stood next to him. The armor was shaking in anger and Mustang could almost feel it radiating off of him in waves.

"It's not that simple." Tucker gasped, trying desperately to fill his lungs with oxygen.

"I don't care, tell us now!" Mustang was shocked to hear Al's voice so full of hatred. Fear flashed in Tucker's eyes as he took in a lungful of air.

"You can't take him apart in one go, unless you want him torn to shreds. You have to separate the body, mind, and soul at different times. Even then he may not survive; it's a painful process for the chimera and the alchemist. If done wrong the one doing the transmutation could die as well." Mustang's anger didn't subside as he thought about what he had just heard.

"Tell me where your research notes are, I'm going to fix him." Mustang watched as Tucker smiled.

"They're in this room, scattered around. Have fun trying to decode them. There's even a log I wrote right after making my masterpiece." Tucker began to laugh and before he could say anything else Alphonse had smashed the man's face with his iron fist. Tucker went limp in Breda and Fuery's arms.

"Breda I want you to watch this man. Fuery, gather all the papers you find in this room. But first I want you to tell Havoc and Falman to find a relative of Nina's and to get her there safely." He was going to give Fuery Hawkeye's orders when the lieutenant appeared.

"Havoc and Falman now know, what else do you need sir?" Her voice was all business as usual, even though her eyes were bloodshot.

"I want you to stay here with Breda and Fuery. Keep an eye on Tucker while helping Fuery find the research notes." The three saluted and Fuery quickly ran down the hall towards the stairwell. Breda dragged the unconscious Tucker over to a far corner of the room and stood menacingly over him.

"Sir, what will you do?" Hawkeye asked, glancing at Alphonse and the bleeding chimera behind him. Mustang let out a sigh.

"I'm taking them home with me. They can't stay in their dorms and they'll be safer with me. As soon as you clear out this room take the findings to me and lock Tucker in the house." Mustang ignored the irritated snarl from Ed and the shocked look shared by both Hawkeye and Al.

Deep down he doubted his decision but he knew that the brothers needed to stay with a skilled alchemist if they had any hope of decoding the notes. He was going to fix Ed not matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I put a lot of detail in the beginning and didn't want it to stretch on for pages. So you'll have to wait a little longer to see what happens, sorry!**

**Anyway, if this was a year or two ago I would have plowed on, ignoring small details and finishing the chapter the way I had planned. I now know that this isn't a good way of writing, this is much MUCH better in my opinion.**

**I'm tired as all hell, so goodnight everyone and hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also if you find any typos in this chapter please tell me.**

**Love you all.**

* * *

**Chapter 4- Discomfort**

Edward hadn't liked the idea of staying with the colonel, nor was he too keen on having Al carry his twisted body to the car. He had mad this known by struggling feebly in his brother's arms and snarling at Mustang until he began coughing up large amounts of blood.

Mustang remembered Fuery passing them halfway down the hall, quickly mumbling out that Havoc and Falman had left with Nina. Fuery had also told him that in the confusion to get to the Tucker estate their group had taken two cars. This confused Mustang but he didn't feel like dwelling on it. His subordinate then handing him a pair of keys, said his farewells to the group, and ran back to Tucker's study.

Once they had gotten to the stairs Ed's bleeding had slowed to a small dribble of crimson that oozed between his lips. He had only growled weakly as Mustang strode in front of the brothers and down the stairs. Havoc, Falman, and Nina were indeed gone, maybe hurried on at the thought of seeing Ed. The colonel ignored this thought at walked as calmly as he possibly could to the half closed door.

The rain had slowed slightly, but the clouds above were still dark. He heard a small, almost inaudible, whimper from Ed. The chimera was trying to block the drops of water with his misshapen paws, doing a pitiful job at it. Sighing quietly, Mustang had taken off his jacket and carefully placed it over Ed, receiving a pained groan that might have held some gratitude.

They had headed through the completely open iron gate and towards Fuery's car. Mustang reached the car first, trying the passenger side door and finding it open. While Al gently set his brother in the front seat the colonel had opened his own door and started the car as Alphonse quickly climbed into the back.

That had all happened a few minutes ago, now the trio was carefully driving down the rain slick road. Mustang focused on the street before him, eyes narrowed as water slapped against the glass pane just a foot or two from his face. From his side he heard Ed moan, fabric rustling as the chimera burrowed deeper into Mustang's jacket.

"How far are we from your house?" Al asked in a meek voice and as he spoke they heard Ed hack up a mouthful of blood. Mustang made a mental note to apologize to Fuery about the blood in his car before answering.

"We're nearly there; give me a minute and at most five." The colonel said, eyes never leaving the road before him. The rest of the ride was quiet except for Ed's cries of pain. Once they had parked in a tiny driveway Mustang let out a small sigh of relief.

His house wasn't really a house in the sense of the word, just a two story townhouse separated from the neighboring homes by a large wooden fence. It wasn't nearly as grand as the Tucker estate but it was much better than the dorms and small apartments of his subordinates.

Mustang got out of the car, hearing Al do the same, and dug around in his pants pocket for his house key. Once he found it he snatched Fuery's car keys and placed them in his other pocket in hopes of not getting the two confused. He looked over to see Al carrying Ed, who was buried under Mustang's jacket with only his bloody muzzle and tail sticking out, before he set off towards the house.

The door opened without a sound, despite the slightly rusted hinges only getting rustier from the rain. He stepped inside, for once grateful for the welcome mat Hues had given him as a house warming present. As the brothers stepped inside Mustang flicked on the lights and illuminated the main room.

The main room served as a living room, a large old couch against one wall with a wooden coffee table in front. Even though the room was on the large side Mustang never felt the need to fill it.

Across the room was a staircase and past that a small kitchen, dining room, and washroom. Another set of stairs was hidden behind a wooden door, leading underground into a large cement and stone basement.

"Set him down on the couch, I'll get some blankets and a pillow or two." When Mustang saw Al hesitate he added, "don't worry, it's quite comfy. Ask Maes, he's fallen asleep on it more times than I can count."

Without waiting to see if Al had believed him the colonel quickly ran up the stairs, cursing when he slipped and fell against the carpeted stairs. Reclaiming what was left of his dignity he walked to the small cupboard that was next to a second, smaller, bathroom and across from two other rooms. One served as a bedroom and the other as a study.

After grabbing a few old blankets and a fuzz covered pillow Mustang walked down the stairs to see Al kneeling next to the couch that Ed lay on. When he approached the armor looked up, watching as the colonel set the blankets on the floor next to him.

"I can't thank you enough colonel." Al said, grabbing a blanket and gently tucking it around Ed. The chimera groaned in pain, squeezing his eyes closed as Al continued. "What you're doing for us is very generous."

"It's nothing." Mustang said quickly, not wanting the brothers to feel as though they owed him anything. The armor understood the meaning behind the words and nodded, standing up when he finished tucking his brother in.

"I hate to ask you this, but could you keep an eye on Edward for me while I get our things from the dorm?" At this Ed's eyes snapped open and his horrified gaze travelled between his brother and the colonel.

"Don't worry; I'll watch him while you're gone. It would be better if you retrieved your belongings than if I sent one of my crew to get them." Mustang heard a loud groan from the chimera and turned his head to see Ed looking at Al in desperation.

"No, don't leave me with him." Edward cried out in his warped voice, attempting to stand but failing miserably and falling back against the couch. Al sighed and knelt down to run his fingers through Ed's tangled mane.

"It'll only be for a little while, trust me. You know the colonel won't hurt you, you're safe here." The gentle tone of Alphonse's voice seemed to calm his brother, though he didn't look pleased with the situation.

The armor slowly stood up, turning towards the door as Ed whined behind him. Mustang saw Al's shoulders tense and couldn't begin to imagine the pain the younger sibling was going through.

After a few seconds Alphonse resumed walking to the door. He opened it quickly as lighting flashed in the distance. Thunder muted the sounds of the door closing and Ed's distressed howl.


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh look, here's the second half of the 4th chapter. This turned out much better than if it were stuffed into the last chapter and this was fun to write. A little fun fact: I only write my fanfics in the bathtub, don't ask how or why but either way it works and you get the chapters. So it's all good right? Right.**

**Anyway hope you like this chapter, it's one of my favorites. Well then again any chapter involving Ed suffering is my favorite. What can I say, I love seeing my favorite characters get tortured.**

**Oh the chapter is named after a song by Red, if you're interested go and look it up, it's quite nice.**

**If you spot any typos or grammar errors please tell me and I'll try to remember to fix them.**

**Love you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 5-Hymn for the Missing**

Edward gazed at the door a few moments longer before he lowered his head sadly onto his paws. The chimera let out a sad sigh and fixed Mustang with a frustrated stare.

"Why'd he leave me with you?" Ed growled, raising his head so the colonel could see his bloody lips drawn back into a snarl. Mustang let out a sigh full of both sadness and frustration. He knelt down so he was level with the angry chimera; face just inches from blood soaked teeth.

"He left you with me because you need someone to watch you. If you haven't noticed, you aren't in the best situation to be left alone." At this Ed's growl grew louder, his golden eyes blazing slits of anger.

"I'm fine!" He snarled, spitting blood onto the colonel's face. Mustang narrowed his eyes and let out a flustered groan.

"Like hell you are! You've just been turned into a god damn chimera and you've been bleeding like mad!" Mustang spat out the words through clenched teeth. Edward's eyes never left his own even when the chimera's body tensed and blood gushed from his mouth.

"Bastard." Ed growled letting out a moan as his organs tried to right themselves. He lowered his head and pushed his muzzle deep into the colonel's bloodied jacket. As Mustang watched the chimera bit down hard on a stray piece of fabric and let out a muffled howl as the muscles and organs of his stomach twisted violently.

"Edward, you're stubborn but you're not dumb. You know that you need help, please let me help." Mustang said sadly, fighting the urge to lay his hand on the suffering chimera's shoulders. He had learned how painful just a simple touch could be to Ed back at the Tucker estate.

Edward let go of the bit of fabric and looked up at Mustang. Sorrow and pain glittered in his eyes. The chimera blinked, leaving his eyes closed for a moment before looking back at his superior.

"Why you want to help?" The anguish in Ed's voice made the colonel flinch.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I'm actually not the heartless bastard you make me out to be." Mustang smiled sadly and slid to his knees, looking away from Ed. He heard the chimera moan in pain and smelt the strong scent of fresh blood.

"Know that." Ed muttered, "Still not understand."

"You really want to make me say it don't you?" The colonel looked up to face the confused golden eyes. He let out a small, humorless laugh as Edward nodded.

"I actually care a great deal about the two of you, even though it doesn't seem like it. Even when I'm sending you somewhere and I know you'll come back I still worry." Mustang felt his body shake slightly with sadness and embarrassment. Ed noticed this.

"Why send us to bad places?" Each word seemed to be a huge effort for the chimera, whether it was from pain or side effects of the transmutation Mustang couldn't decide.

"You'd find your way there without my help; even if I didn't tell you to go you still would, that's just how you brothers are. Each mission I send you on I know you can handle it. Even if it seems like I'm sending you away to do my dirty work it's for your own good." Ed turned his head around and dark gray eyes gazed into hazy gold for what seemed like an eternity. It felt as though both were staring into the other's soul, each feeling the same sorrow and pain.

"Colonel-"Ed broke off as an agonized howl tore from his throat. The chimera gritted his teeth as his body pulsed painfully. To Mustang's horror it seemed as though each of Edward's organs and muscles were trying to fix themselves in one go.

Ed's body then began to spasm, limbs jerking as though he was being struck by lightning. The force of the chimera's struggles sent him tumbling from the couch and into Mustang's lap. Edward looked up at the colonel, terror blazing in his eyes as blood rushed from his mouth in a seemingly endless torrent. Then there was one last spasm as his organs and muscles settled into their rightful place. The spasm was so strong it even shook Mustang, and when it passed Ed's eyes closed and he went limp.

"Edward?" Mustang whispered, holding the motionless chimera in his arms, waiting for him to answer or at least open his eyes. Ed lie completely still, head lolling back and limbs moving like a ragdoll's as Mustang desperately shook Ed. He felt tears sting his eyes at the thought of Ed dying in his arms.

Before he could let sorrow consume him the chimera gasped, eyes opening wide but staring at nothing as he sucked in a lungful of air. Mustang began to relax, even though he was shaking and grasping Ed as tightly as he could. He heard Edward whine and felt paws bating at him in an attempt to push him away.

"Let go!" Ed growled, forcing a smile to form on Mustang's face. It seemed as though the chimera was back to his old self. The colonel obliged, dragging his bloody jacket off the couch before setting Ed upon it. Edward then relaxed and slumped into the blankets, giving the colonel a confused look.

"You fell off the couch and for a moment it seemed like we'd lost you." Mustang looked away, cursing himself as he felt his eyes fill with tears. Suddenly he felt a gentle weight on his shoulder and turned to see Ed's paw lying inches from his face.

"Sorry, feel much better though." He was the chimera's lips curl back in an attempt at a smile. Mustang could see that Ed seemed more relaxed and no fresh blood dripped from his mouth. Both of them let out a small sigh.

"You better be sorry, you scared me Ed!" Mustang said in a loud but gentle voice. Ed removed his paw and settled deeper into the couch, eyelids drooping.

"Scaring you make me tired." The chimera said, receiving a small snort of laughter from the colonel. His own body cried for sleep as he sat up on the couch next to Ed.

"Being scared has tired me out." Mustang smirked, watching as Ed slowly drifted off. As the chimera began to snore softly the colonel leaned back against the couch. Ed seemed fine now and surely he deserved some sleep?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Alphonse gently opened the door in attempts to keep out the steady drizzle that was now falling.

"Colonel? Ed?" He called, darting in and closing the door with the hand that didn't hold a large travelling trunk.

There was no call back and Al soon saw why. Both Ed and the colonel were asleep on the couch. Mustang was resting against Edward, using the chimera's shoulder as a pillow. Ed was buried deep in the blankets, his head resting on his paws and what looked like a smile on his face.

If Alphonse had his body he would have smiled at the cute scene before him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Well this is a short chapter, only because I'm tired and I wanted to post a chapter so you guys wouldn't get freaked out and think I disappeared lol. But yeah, just a boring chapter, no blood and suffering.**

**If you see any typos while reading please tell me, I was talking to my little brother while typing this.**

**Also I now have a facebook page for my fanfics. Just type in Mistclaw in the search bar and I'm the one under artist.**

**Thanks and love you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 6-Notes from the Underground**

Mustang was awoken from the peaceful darkness of sleep by a loud knocking on the door. He let out a groan and burrowed deeper into the pillow he was curled up against. It was too early for someone to come over; hell he was still in bed.

There was another knock and then a new sound accompanied it, the sound of hollow metal clanging softly over carpet. The sound made memories pour into Mustang's head. The images of the last few hours flew through his mind, making him shudder. There was one last knock and the door creaked open right as Mustang remembered he hadn't fallen asleep in his bed.

The colonel sat up quickly, eyes open and suddenly alert. He cast a glance over his shoulder to see Ed lying peacefully on the couch. Without the presence of Mustang beside him the chimera had stretched out, head resting against the armrest of the couch.

He then remembered that the door had woken him up and turned his head around to see Hawkeye standing in the doorway, talking quietly to Al. In her arms was a mound of papers, some damp from the drizzle coming down outside. Alphonse said something too quiet to hear and Hawkeye nodded, slowly stepping inside.

Her eyes traveled around the room until they locked on Mustang. She nodded politely to him and walked over to the coffee table in front of the couch, setting down the papers in her arms to give the colonel a proper salute.

"There's no need for that lieutenant." Mustang said as he heard Al close the door. Hawkeye lowered her hand and opened her mouth as though to say something when her eyes widened with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing Alphonse standing a little ways behind the lieutenant. The armor's eyes seemed to glow brighter as he answered.

"Your shirt." Al's voice shook with fear and the colonel looked down. His once white shirt was stained dark red from drying blood. At first he was shocked and then he remembered what happened earlier with Ed.

"It's not mine, its Ed's. A little while after you left, Alphonse, all of Edward's organs decided to right themselves in one go. After it happened he looked better and fell asleep." Mustang didn't add in how he had also fallen asleep and ended up curled next to the sleeping chimera. He had a feeling Al already knew about that.

"Well good thing I came with these research notes." Hawkeye said as she patted the stack of papers next to her. "You're going to need them if you're going to fix Edward."

"Thanks, is this all you could find?" The colonel ran his hand through his hair and leaned over the table to get a better look at the notes. To him they seemed like a jumble of letters and symbols.

"Yes sir, Fuery and I scoured the place for hours and these are all we found. After we got them Breda locked Tucker in his lab and we left." The lieutenant was her normal business like self, though Mustang could see it looked forced.

"Good work, now I want you, Breda, and Fuery to rest. I know how tiring this whole situation is. I'll start decoding these notes, it'll take some time so don't expect me to be in the office anytime soon." The colonel cast a glance at Ed and saw him stir slightly in his sleep.

"What should I tell the higher ups if they call?" Hawkeye asked.

"Make something up, I trust you to not give anything away." Mustang didn't look up as he answered; he just continued to stare at the sleeping chimera at his side.

"Yes sir. I shall take care of that now. Is there anything else you want done?" The colonel slowly looked over at the lieutenant, shaking his head.

"No, but tomorrow I would like you to check in on Tucker." Suddenly Mustang heard a growl and turned to see Ed baring his teeth, even though his eyes were still closed.

"Yes sir." Hawkeye said, seeming to not take any notice to Ed's growling. He heard her gently walk across the carpet, open the door, and close it with a low squeak.

"Colonel?" Mustang jumped and turned his head to see Al standing a few feet from the door. The colonel felt guilt at forgetting the younger brother was there all along.

"Yes Alphonse?" He asked gently.

"Well, it's just that, the blood on your shirt is scaring me." The suit of armor looked away in embarrassment but Mustang understood completely. The last time Al had seen this much of his brother's own blood they had failed to bring their mother back from the dead through human transmutation.

"I know Alphonse." Mustang said as he slowly stood up, stretching and hearing a few satisfying cracks, "I'm off to take a shower now, then I'll work on those notes."

"Thanks." Al sounded relieved. "While you do that I'll keep an eye on Ed and look over the notes."

The colonel nodded and walked over to the staircase as Al moved towards the couch. He watched as the suit of armor sat next to his brother and gently ran his hand down the elder's back.

As Mustang walked up the stairs he thought about the notes and how they hadn't looked familiar at all. How could he decode those notes if he didn't know anything about that type of alchemy?


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, life's been hard for me at the moment. I've had some emotional problems and was unable to write or do anything much for that matter. And of course by the time I get better life has to be a bitch again and break my mom's back in a car accident. I thank god that it wasn't worse but I've been worrying about her since then.**

**Yeah, anyway no need to rant right now. I don't like forcing my problems onto people, I know it's annoying. So enjoy the chapter and hopefully soon I'll have the next one up.**

**Love you all!**

**Also if you see any words that are misspelled please tell me and I will fix them when I get the time. **

**:3**

* * *

**Chapter 7- Pity Dance**

Steam followed the colonel as he stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around his waist. He had stood in the shower for a half hour thinking about the situation, drawing out the few symbols he had seen in the notes on the shower door through the condensation. The symbols didn't look any more familiar even when he had looked at them until water droplets had washed them away.

With a small sigh Mustang walked quietly past his open study and into his bedroom. Just thinking of the tedious work before him made him shiver, but he had to do it for the brother's sake. He was never one for work of any sort but if it was this important he'd see it to the end.

As he got dressed the colonel heard a faint voice through the floor, too muffled to tell whose it was. He buttoned up his new, clean white shirt and listened hard for the voice to speak again. Instead of hearing a voice he heard the gentle creak of floor boards as someone walked over them. The colonel just assumed it was Alphonse and finished dressing, putting on a pair of baggy grey sweatpants and socks.

Mustang left his room, still hearing the floor boards creaking below, and closed his door with a faint squeak of the hinges. The creaking stopped, leaving the colonel confused, had they stopped because of the door? He shook his head, knowing that even though Al wasn't human he still had the same hearing as one. The colonel reached the stairs and jumped in shock at what he saw at the bottom.

Edward was sitting at the base of the stairs, ears perked up and his fluffy golden tail wrapped around his paws. His eyes never left Mustang as he walked slowly down the steps.

"Good to see you're awake Edward." He said casually, reaching the bottom step and looking down at the chimera. Ed continued to stare at the colonel for a few moments until he looked down at his paws. Before he could ask the chimera heaved himself up, legs shaking with the effort of lifting the suffering body attached to them. Once he was standing, legs still shaking, he looked up with triumph in his eyes.

"Can stand on own now." Edward said raising his head higher. The colonel smiled and walked down the final stair so he could stand next to Ed.

"Good job, but don't do anything you're not ready to do." Mustang warned, receiving a small huff from Ed.

"Know that." He flicked his tail and narrowed his eyes. "Just testing new legs."

Mustang watched as the chimera slowly turned around and, with his tail stuck high in the air, began to walk towards the couch where his brother sat. His legs were as unsteady as a newborn's but he seemed to be used to walking on all fours and didn't fall once. The colonel saw Al look up from sorting Tucker's notes to look at Ed as he stood proudly before him.

"Can walk now Al!" He barked, wagging his tail. His brother gently patted him on the head and his eyes glowed with pride.

"That's great brother." Al forced a happy tone into his voice as he looked up at Mustang, sorrow gleaming in his soulful eyes. The colonel nodded, telling Al he felt the same way. If Ed had never been turned into a chimera he wouldn't have had to learn how to walk on all fours.

"Great, that's great." Ed repeated happily, seeming not to notice the sad look passed between Mustang and his brother. Mustang looked away from Al and stared at Ed, why was he suddenly acting like a child? He seemed so out of character from the stubborn, proud teenager he was.

"Edward, are you okay? Do you need anything?" At the sound of his voice Ed turned his head, looking at him with hazy golden eyes. Something seemed to flash in the chimera's gaze but before the colonel could tell what it was it was gone.

"Thirsty." He stated after a small pause. Mustang nodded and turned toward the kitchen, feeling Ed's gaze burn into his back.

He walked across the shiny white linoleum towards the cupboard. The colonel began to reach up towards the one that held his glasses and mugs but stopped himself. Ed wouldn't be able to drink out of either of those now, his muzzle would get stuck in the narrow cylinders. With a sad sigh he opened the cupboard next to it and grabbed an old bowl.

"Colonel?" He nearly dropped the bowl at the morphed bark from behind. The colonel quickly composed himself and looked back over his shoulder at the chimera standing in the middle of the kitchen.

"Hello Ed, I'm getting you some water now." Mustang quickly turned around and turned the sink's cold water knob, holding the bowl under the faucet. Once the bowl was full he turned around, seeing that Edward hadn't moved, and placed the bowl in front of the chimera.

"Thanks." Ed said, lowering his head to lap gently at the water. After a second or two his lapping increased in speed as though he had just noticed how thirsty he was. As he drank the colonel could see sadness cloud the chimera's eyes and by the time the bowl was empty he was shaking.

"Edward, are you okay?" Mustang asked, walking over to Ed's side and moving over the empty bowl to kneel before him. The chimera looked up at him with eyes glistening with anguish.

"Hate this, feels weird." He whimpered, falling to the ground and curling up into a miserable heap of fur. "Know you both think the same thing."

Instantly Mustang knew what was going on. Edward had noticed the sad look shared between himself and Al; he knew that the two pitied him in the state he was in.

"Edward, don't worry. There's nothing we can do to fix this right now but give us time. We all want you back to being yourself but until then you have to be strong. We all have to accept what happened." The colonel placed his hand under Ed's chin while he was talking, staring at the chimera fiercely as he spoke.

This seemed to calm Edward and soon the determined look he always wore had returned. He shook himself and stood up, legs shaking less than before. The chimera looked up at him and nodded.

"Okay, I'll be strong."


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry for the long wait, since school has ended I've done nothing but play World of Warcraft and watch Roosterteeth on Youtube. I get distracted very easily..._

_Anyway here it is, it's a little short and the chapter after this will be a little shorter too. After that the chapters will get lively, I have a nice twist planned in the middle...I just know you all will like it._

_If you see any misspelled words or grammatical errors please comment, I WILL get around to fixing them, I just need to stop procrastinating. (Have I told you all I'm a horrible procrastinator? Well if not I did now)_

_Love you all!_

_:3_

* * *

**Chapter 8- Chimeras and Clock Chimes**

The colonel turned from page to page, glancing over confusing symbols and unexplainable transmutation circles. With each page he looked over he felt as though he was drowning, hopelessly grasping at anything that could provide help. Nothing he had learned from his teacher was helping; he only knew flame alchemy and never even thought of dabbling in bio-alchemy.

Mustang shot a quick glance at Al. The large suit of armor was hunched over his own stack of notes, concentration as well as frustration apparent by his posture. Even though Al and his brother had learned what little they could of bio-alchemy it didn't seem to be helping.

With a quiet sigh Mustang turned his attention on his own section of the notes. The worn paper he was looking at was covered in symbols and hastily drawn transmutation circles. He flipped the page to see the same old symbols but this time the page was strewn with diagrams.

One showed two animals in the center of a circle, one appearing to be a stray cat and the other a snake. Underneath them was a twisted and bloodied body lying in the transmutation circle with them, unidentifiable to the colonel. Symbols seemed to form sentences as a caption under them.

The second diagram showed the inhabitants of the circle crying in pain, all accept the bloodied creature, bodies twisted unnaturally with light flowing from the circle. Again, there was what appeared to be a caption underneath.

The last showed one creature in the circle, hunched over in agony with blood streaming from its mouth and eyes. It had the front half of a cat, patches of scales visible through its fur, and the bottom half of a snake. Below it where the unidentifiable creature had been was now a dark puddle with what appeared to be steam rising from it.

There was a shuffling sound from beside the colonel, the sudden noise startling him. The image of the twisted creature from the diagram flashed in his mind, and for a split second he thought the thing was next to him. He looked down and was relieved to see that the creature from the notes had stayed on the paper.

Ed lie peacefully in between Al and Mustang on the couch with a blanket draped haphazardly over him. The chimera would alternate who he would lean against and at the moment he had chosen the colonel as his pillow.

Walking around the house had tired him out, but he had gotten used to his new legs and posture. For almost an hour he had paced the room, leaning on the wall when his legs threatened to give out, until he could walk properly.

After that he had padded carefully around the table that the notes were resting on. Occasionally he would peek at the papers only to look away with a frustrated growl. It seemed that he couldn't make heads or tails of it either.

The only time the colonel had gotten a small break he had led Ed into the kitchen to get him a bowl of water. While the chimera drank he had tried to convince him to eat something. Even the thought of food had seemed to make the both of them queasy and after a minute or two of arguing with the chimera he had given up. With all that had happened today he could see why Ed had no appetite.

That had been hours ago and since then Edward had been sleeping. The clock on the far wall in the front room chimed and Mustang absently counted the ringing bells. After the clock's familiar tune had played he counted off twelve chimes and looked up with a start.

Across the dimly lit room the white face of the clock shown, both hands on the twelve at the top and as the ringing stopped the larger hand moved slightly. The colonel stared for a few seconds, wondering where all the time had gone and when he had even started looking at the notes.

"Colonel." Mustang turned to see Al's glowing eyes fixed on him. "It's late, you should get some rest."

Beside him he could hear Ed's gentle breathes and stifled a yawn. "Alphonse, after what I've seen today I don't think I could sleep easy. Besides it is much more important to solve these notes, I can go days without sleeping." Before the younger Elric could argue he shot him a stern glance. Al muttered something and returned to his notes.

Right as the colonel looked down at his own papers and was preparing to flip the page he heard a gasp. "Colonel!"

Mustang flashed a glance at Alphonse and saw that the armor's hands were shaking, his gaze locked on the paper they held. The colonel looked over and was shocked to see normal letters and words written there, accompanied by symbols of course.

"This page was stuck to another and I just found it." Al looked up at him with shinning eyes. "It's the code to the notes!"


End file.
